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Preparing your workforce for Industry 4.0

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The world is at the beginning of the Fourth Industrial revolution which, in conjunction with the New Digital Age, is the catalyst for rapid change in all industries and is presenting a multitude of challenges. A major issue facing businesses is having access to a global talent pool with the right skill sets needed to take the organisation into the era of digital transformation.
Entity Solutions CIO, Kamran Channa says, ‘digital is ubiquitous; successful businesses must connect, interact and transact with their customers how they want to and where they want to’. Most businesses have been investing in digital technologies and carrying out research in this area already, however according to experts, the pace of change is about to surge dramatically in the years ahead. Now, more than ever, a highly skilled workforce is imperative and skills which haven’t even been taught yet in schools and universities will be in great demand.
So how will this affect your workforce?
According to the World Economic Forum report The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution which was released in January 2016, “On average, by 2020, more than a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will be comprised of skills that are not yet considered crucial to the job today”. We need to anticipate possible skill requirements of the future and prepare our workforces as best we can for the times ahead. Although it is difficult to predict which skills will be necessary when the job titles have not yet been conceived, we have to look at factors that research tells us will likely pose problems in the coming years.
In the Energy and ICT sectors, the report identified one of the greatest factors impacting their workforces is ‘disruptive innovation’, the process of designing a new technology which as a consequence outdates another. This will enable businesses to rise to the evolving demands of their customers; however will present workforce challenges as they eradicate some job titles, whilst creating new ones.
What’s the solution?
With the advancement of technology upon us and specialist skills already in short supply, companies have been prompted to re-evaluate their human resources models. A major influence of this change is the drive towards project based work assignments and flexible working arrangements. Utilising contingent workers in specialised areas to address bespoke business requirements provides the crucial benefit to up or downscale as the market dictates.
The subsequent phase is to build and effectively manage your organisation’s talent pool in a proactive way to reduce future project lead times and respond quickly to customer demands.  Further consideration should also be given to sourcing overseas expertise on a short-term basis. A global talent pool can offer an organisation a competitor advantage and the complexities that surround migration law should not be a deterrent.  Having access to the best of bread talent will elevate innovation initiatives and organically encourage upskilling of staff.
Businesses will need to adapt to emerging technology promptly and planning ways to upskill existing staff will help to fill the skills gap. It has already been recognised that skills such as cognitive abilities, critical thinking and complex problem solving will be in high demand across all sectors. For organisations wanting immediate impact, Independent Professionals (IPros), entrepreneurial by nature, take responsibility for their own professional development.  These highly skilled professionals are at the forefront of technologies relating to their field and have a willing desire to stay up to date with the latest training.
Ensuring you have a workforce that can engage effectively with new technology is crucial to the delivery of services customers now expect. Consider taking a proactive approach and thinking ahead to the skills your business will need in the future.  Focusing on building strong talent pools with these skills, whilst accepting that these candidates may expect flexible working arrangements, will be the key to creating a more resilient workforce that will be ready for the future of work.
For more advice around managing a contingent workforce or assistance with migration solutions please contact Entity Solutions.

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